Two of the most senior Conservative councillors in Essex are furious at the recent EU bill for £1.7 billion and have written to David Cameron demanding that he does not ‘pay one penny more’ to Brussels.

Conservative Group Leader of Essex County Council, Cllr. David Finch, said:

“This is a bill too far and a damn right slap in the face for every resident of the UK and Essex. We appear to be penalised for returning Britain to fiscal stability thanks to Conservative policies while others in the EU are being rewarded for not controlling their economies. This is not right, not fair and not just and any right minded person would demand that that this bill is not paid.”

France and Germany will both receive rebates as their economies flounder while the UK and the Netherlands are being asked to pay more.

Deputy Leader of the Conservatives, Cllr. Kevin Bentley, said:

“In Essex we are proud to have pulled around our economy after the recession and we are one of the strongest counties in the UK. That is a tribute to every single person whether employer or employee and we have put policies in place at County Hall to ensure we help as many businesses as possible to grow. Our success and that of the UK should not be punished by this unrealistic bill from Brussels. It is outrageous especially when that sort of money would help resolve many of the infrastructure issues we need in Essex. We should not pay anything more and keep taxpayers’ money at home where it belongs!”

Both councillors have now written to the Prime Minister to express their views and to ensure the voice of Essex is heard loud and clear.